Internal combustion engine



Aug. 20, 1935. R. N. DU BOIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 25, 1930 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

ATTORNEY.

Patented'Aug. 20, 1935 7 $2,011,804 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE a RalphN. .Du Bois, Detroit, Mich, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit,

ginia Mich, a, corporation of Vir- ApplicationAugust 25, 1930, Serial- No. 477,549

My invention relates to internal combustion engines'and more particularly to two-cycle engines. having opposed'cylinders,this type of engine' being'especially adapted for use with light '5 weight aircraft such as gliders and the like.

' embodied inengines other than the type men- Obviously the principles of'my invention'may be tioned above and in engines other than those adaptedfcr aircraft use.

It may be noted that simplicity and cheapness is one of the primary requisites of engines of this character since they are most generally employed with gliders which are usually operated by men and boys of more limited flying experience, who

= arenot usually experienced in operating an engine employing the complicated mechanism such as is found in aircraft engines of relatively higher horsepower.

It istheobject of myinvention to provide an engine, simple in construction and operation, which may be readily adapted for. use in gliders or other comparatively light airplane'structures.

Another object of my invention is to produce an internal combustion engine that'may be .eco nomically manufactured and operated by providing an engine structure comprising a valving mechanism of simple and economical construction that may beoperated with a minimum of.

maintenance.

'A further object of my invention is to provide an engine of the type specified of simple construction by employing a power take-off shaft which carries a valving means for controlling the fuel in-take. b v

I For amore detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form which my invention may assume, and in which:

' Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section of a two-cycle engine constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the engine, and I a I Figure 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional View thereof taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

lhe internal combustion engine illustrated in" the accompanying drawing comprises a crankcase i0, and a crankshaft ll which is supported therein and operatively connected with pistons 1 I2 by-the connecting rods l3. iThe cylinders [4 are bolted or otherwise secured tothe crankcase 'lil andare preferably arranged in a staggered opposed relation as shown in Figure l.'

The pistons in each cylinder are preferably on- I 6 Claims, (01'. 12343) I erated in unison. The "cylinders are each provided with intake passages I5 open to the crank-'" case at one end, the otherend of these passagesarrangedto be uncovered when the piston "is'fatthe bottom of itsstroke. Suitable exhaust ports iiig are provided and an exhaust manifold ll is boltedor otherwise suitably secured to the cylinders, the incoming gasestending to-scavenge the cylinders.

The fuel is first drawn into the crankcase from,

whence it is drawn into the cylinders, and a novel means has been provided for contro lling the'fuel inlet. A power take-off shaft 20, such asa propeller'shaft is supported by the crankcase and preferably lies parallel with respect to the crankshaft axis.- 'I'he propeller shaft is operatively connected with the crankshaft andis preferably driven at one-halfbrankshaft speed by means of gearing 2|, said gearing being preferably lo-.

cated at the front end of the engine: The power takesoif. or propeller shaft 26' is preferably pro;

vided with an extension 22 supported in suitable bearings carried by the crankcase; The crank-.- casefis soconstructed as to provide a bore-2.3 which receives the extension of'the propeller shaft-said extension being hollow and provided with one or more inlet ports 24 that cooperate With the inlet ports 25 carried'by the crankcase.

- As the propeller shaft is rotated in timed rela'-' tion with the crankshaft, the ports 24 areperiod ically brought'into registration with the crankcase ports 25, at the proper time. A carburetor 26 is preferably secured to an external face of the crankcase and is constructed to feed the fuel into the open end of the hollow propeller shaft (see Figure 3). Therefore, the fuel is injected into the interior of the crankcase through ports 24, 25 at every revolution of the crankshaft.

It will thus be noted that I have provided a twocycle'engine suitable for use with light aircraft that comprises a fuel intake valving mechanism of simple construction and which can be very readilymaintained in proper adjustment with a minimum of attention.

Although I have illustrated but ,oneform of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of. my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

' 1. An internal combustion engine of the type adapted for use with aircraft and. including a crankcase ported for intake, a crankshaft supported by said crankcase, and a' propeller shaft rotatably supported by the crankcase and driven by said crankshaft at one-half crankshaft speed, said propeller shaft having a tubular extension housed within the crankcase structure, said ex:

tension providing an engineintake passage and having ports spaced axially and angularlyofthe extension and cooperating with saidportedcrankcase to provide an intake cyclical event for ever revolution of the crankshaft. 7

2. An internal combustion engine of; thetype adapted for use with aircraft and including a crankcase ported for intake, a'crankshafts'upported by said crankcase, and a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the'crankcase and driven by said crankshaft at one-half crankshaft speed, said propeller shaft having a tubular extension housed within the crankcase structure, s aid' ex-v tension providing an engine intake passage andhaving ports spaced axially and angularly of the extension, andcooperating with said ported crankcase to provide an intake cyclical event for every revolution of the crankshaft, said crankcase including a bore providing a bearing for supporting T substantially the full length of said extension.

, 3; An internal combustion engine of the type adapted for use 'with aircraft and including a crankcase ported for intake, a crankshaft supported by said crankcase, and a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the crankcase and driven by said crankshaft at one-half crankshaft speed,

said propeller shaft having a tubular extension housed within the crankcase structure, said ,extension providing an engine intake passage and having ports spaced axially, and angularly of the extension and cooperating with said ported crankcase to 'providean intakecy'clical event for every revolutionofthe crankshaft, said crankcase includin'g a'bore providing a bearing for supporting'substantially the full length of, said extension,

said propeller. shaft projecting beyond the for ward face of the crankcase. structure;

4. An internalcombustion engine of the type adapted, for 'use with aircraft and including a n Hi. 1

crankcase ported for intake, a crankshaft supported'by said crankcase, and a propeller shaft supported by the crankcase and geared to the crankshaft, said propeller, shaftextending for- Wardly beyond the crankcase to provide a propellerdrive, said propeller shaft extending parallel with the crankshaft and having a hollow rear ward extension overlying the crankshaft and axially aligned with the propeller" shaft axis, said extension being ported for intake whereby to provide a rotary valve means controlling engine intake. l V g 5. An internal combustion engine of the twostroke cycle type adapted for use with aircraft and including a crankcase ported for intake, a

crankshaft' supported by said crankcase, and a propeller shaft supported by 'the'crankcase and geared-tothe crankshaft, opposed cylinders havgeared tothe crankshaft, opposedgcylinders hay-1 ing theiraxes arranged transversely to said crank shaft and to said -propeller shaft, a pistonfor each of said cylindersconnected to simultaneous 1y operate said crankshaft, said lpropeller shaft extending forwardly beyond the crankcase to provide a'prppeller drive, said propeller shaft extending parallel with the crankshaft and having a hollow rearward exte'nsion'overlying the crankshaft and axially aligned with thepropeller shaft 7 axis, saidextensmn having a port for cooperation withsaidpor'ted crankcase;v V 1 I RALPH N. vDU BOIS.

crankshaft's upported bysaid crankcase, and av propeller shaftsupported by the crankcase and 

